Bible Study Notes 6/28/22

Word Alive!

©2022 Spring Series

Not A Fan... A Completely Committed Follower!

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton

Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Tuesday, 28 June 2022, Lesson 6

Kyle Idleman, Not A Fan… A Completely Committed Follower of Jesus

Devotional Time: Not A Fan, Chapter 6 (pp. 87-99)

Self, Something Else, Or the Spirit – The Holy Spirit has been, since the inception of the Christian faith the neglected member of the divine nature of God. It is common for Christians to mention the Father and the Son, while unwittingly ignoring the Holy Spirit. In his helpful book, Not A Fan, Kyle Idleman compares the way we treat the Holy Spirit with the manner in which his brothers in-law felt about him. He candidly said, “But they aren’t sure what to do with me.” Idleman explained they had different cultural orientations, identities, and values. Idleman entered into a relationship with his new relatives by marriage. We develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit as a result of our “new birth” through faith in Jesus Christ, and our acknowledgement of Him in our lives. Idleman says further: “The truth is you cannot be a follower, unless you are filled with the Holy Spirit.” There are fan-followers who proceed with their rituals, but their effectiveness wanes and they lack the spiritual influence to affect the lives of others. The Apostle Paul encountered such a group during a visit to Ephesus (cf. Acts 19:1-2, NLT). The problem with the group Paul counseled, was that they had received an “inadequate understanding” of the faith, and of baptism. Prior to the ministry of Jesus, many Jews followed the ministry of John the Baptist. John offered a baptism ritual of purification, which was symbolic of an outward cleansing. John taught that the Messiah (Jesus) would come after him; and would baptize those who believe in Him by faith and of the Holy Spirit (cf. Matthew 3:11, NLT). John and the ot Apostles knew, committed followers of Jesus would need the Holy Spirit to direct them in difficult times. Kyle Idleman says, “Eventually something happens and you can’t get through it on your own. Followers have discovered that it doesn’t work without the power of the Holy Spirit.” In the Old Testament, many of the faithful whom God gave an assignment were keenly aware they were unable to accomplish the task on their own. Zerubbabel was appointed to direct the rebuilding of the Temple after the exile. It was an enormous task, for which he felt inadequate. The word of the Lord came to him saying: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Cf. Zechariah 4:6, NLT). The eternal Spirit has found a place in the hearts of true believers. The Apostle John cautions Christians, to be aware that every spirit is not from God. In the first century of John’s era, as is now, persons in whom the Holy Spirit lives would not deny nor question the fact that Jesus lived and died in the flesh. There was a group called Gnostics who believed it was impossible for One who claimed… (C’td)

Self, Something Else, or The Spirit, Part 2 – (C’td, from page 1) to be God, to live in a human body. This “spirit” of thought circulated throughout that region, and tempted some fan-followers who were unsettled in their faith. John’s strong admonition is both an affirmation of Jesus as Savior and Messiah; and the Holy Spirit who resides in every believer (cf. I John 4:1-3, NLT). John goes further by urging the Christians to test the “spirits.” The Greek word translated for “test” is dokmazate, which means “prove” or “examine the matter thoroughly.” The different spirits must be tested; they could be harmful! Similarly, as the Apostles journeyed to cities and regions, they often encountered people who exploited the Gospel message for personal gain. When Simon observed the Apostles ministering through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, he attempted to bribe them into “giving him” the same gift. The nefarious actions of Simon exposed his “spirit of greed”, and lack of understanding of the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Simon was forbidden to be identified with the apostles and their legitimate ministry (cf. Acts 8:18-24, NLT). Some spirits can be very harmful to others, and to the persons who harbor them. King Saul often was tormented by a spirit of jealousy and evil. The consequences of his behavior ultimately led to his loss of the throne by death on the battle field (cf. I Samuel 18:10-16, NLT; Also, I Samuel 31:1-5, NKJV)). The Apostle Paul draws a contrast between our spirit and the Holy Spirit. Our human spirit can facilitate our human thoughts. We come to understand the things and people around us because our human spirit is at work. However, we can only discern the wisdom of God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us understand, as the King James translation describes it, the deeper thoughts of God (cf. I Corinthians 2:11-12, NLT). In our recommended devotional book, Not A Fan, Kyle Idleman offers a good reminder for every Christian: “When you become a Christian you receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit. That’s his promise to all who put their faith in him. So it’s not a question of whether or not you have access to this power of the Holy Spirit; the question is, have you accessed it? Fans may have received the gift of the Holy Spirit but they aren’t being filled with the Holy Spirit.” If we’ve forgotten let’s remember the great promise of Jesus to each of us: “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you (cf. John 14:17, NLT). The Holy Spirit indwells all believers.

________________________________KEY IDEA _______________________________

What We Believe!

“Committed followers of Jesus seek to be filled with the Spirit!

1. We can’t effectively follow Christ without the Holy Spirit!

______________________________KEY VERSES _____________________________

Acts 19:1-2, NLT

“When Paul was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

I John 4:1-3, NLT

“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if some-one claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”

Acts 8:18-24, NLT

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the Apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit. “But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things won’t happen to me!”

I Samuel 18:10-16, NLT

“The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp As he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice. Saul was then afraid of David, for the Lord was with David and had turned away from Saul. Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander of 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle. David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops in battle.”

I Corinthians 2:11-12, NLT

“No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given.”